Last Week

Yippee, last week at the academy. It's been a great time and a wonderful experience, but it's time to head home. Alexis and Viana will be flying out Wednesday (that's only two days away!) for the graduation ceremony on Friday, then it's back to the west coast.

Got lots of photos to share and stories to tell, but for now since I'm fighting off another cold, it's off to get some soup then nap time. Two more classes today then our final PT session tomorrow which I'll probably skip. Graduation rehersal Wednesday morning, photos and schmoozing then the real deal Friday morning. Wahoo!

Auction and Travel Plans

Yay for week 8! That means only two more weeks well, technically three, but who's counting? Tonight was the silent auction to benefit COPS (Concerns of Police Survivors) which raises money for the families of officers killed in the line of duty. There was a bunch of sports memorabilia and as much as I would have liked the the Clyde Drexler basketball (I know, no one knows who Clyde Drexler is) I was out bid. I was also out bid for the commemorative NA 242 1963 license plate which went for $580 (which is probably a good thing). Actually my roommate was outbid for that license plate...I wasn't THAT keen on the thing. At least it was all for charity.

I am officially done with my in-class requirements, reports, etc. with the exception of one group presentation next week. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself during that time, although we do have Mike Durant (the helicopter pilot from Blackhawk Down) speaking on Wednesday night which should be interesting. Other than that, I'm REALLY looking forward to the trip home this coming weekend and seeing the family, and it may take a significant amount of persuasion to get me back on the plane to Virginia for the last week-and-a-half.

All that said, it's been a great time thus far, there are some amazing people here and hopefully some lasting friendships. I know of two people (one from Canada and one from New Zealand) that will be visiting San Diego in the next few months. For now, that's about it, although I still have some great photos from International Night to post, so look for those soon.

Silent Drill Team

So last night we were able to take a trip to the Marine Barracks, Washington DC which is the oldest post in the Marine Corps established in 1801. It is also home to several unique units of the Marine Corps including The President's Own, which is the presidental band, and the Commandant's Own, which is the Marine Corps Commandant's drum and bugle corps. Also stationed here is the Silent Drill Team which does an entire drill using rifles with fixed bayonets and doesn't utter a single word or command throughout the whole thing! Very impressive.

The parade consisted of performances by the aforementioned groups and two companies that are responsible for the official colors and for burying fallen members at Arlington. I tried to capture some of the band and bugle corps but it was difficult to capture the silent drill team as they were too far away. My attempts to upload the video all failed, so I'll have to try again later, but believe me it was very cool! There are several videos on YouTube that show the performance better (try and watch one that is not at a major sporting event because it's much more impressive without all the noise).

Illness, Rain, Helicopters & a Pig Roast

So Wednesday was our 6th challenge, a 4 mile run on tank trails, called the "Munchkin Run." Don't you just love the Wizard of Oz theme? At any rate, I woke up with what I suspected was the beginning of a cold, the same one that has crippled about 1/3 of our session. To make matters more interesting it decided to rain during our 4-mile trot, which probably didn't help my situation any.

At any rate the run went well and I managed to beat my "nemesis" Fred from Austin, although I have little hope of ever catching EJ our P.T. instructor. It took us about 28 minutes to cover the distance, and we almost managed negative splits for all four miles! However it took close to an hour by the time I went back and forth running in the rest of our classmates. That's okay, that's the teamwork part that people so often miss.

After that it was a warm shower and nap! Then we took a tour of the facilities of the Bureau's elite Hostage Rescue Team (HRT), although that's a bit of a misnomer since they rarely actually resuce hostages any more. We saw what an unlimited budget will get you...something to the tune of 14 helicopters, state of the art training facilities and more specialty vehicles than you can possibly imagine.We got a run down on the capabilities of the team and got to explore all the helicopters (the dream is still alive!). Anyway, while most of what we saw was classified and super-secret, here are a couple photos from the tour. Thoroughly enjoyed the gadgets and gizmos!

Finally, it was time for the pig roast. Our section sponsored a pig roast at the local lake/park and a local guy came out and made the most amazing pork and brisket, ummm, yummy! Followed up by a brownie and fudge (courtesy of Alexis and Viana), some Tylenol for the ensuing cold and off to bed by 9:30!

Today, of course, I spent the majority of the day battling my cold. Although three naps, a bag of cough drops and a pretty tasty beef stew for dinner seemed to have worked wonders. Just have one more day to get through, including another P.T. session, then rest for the weekend...and two remaining papers to write.

Yay For Family Visits!

Woohoo, the family came to town this weekend! Just the break I think we all needed. Alexis and Viana came into town late Friday afternoon, I skipped out on class (pre-arranged of course), jumped in the 'ole Nissan rental car and sped my way northward to DC to meet them at the airport.

Viana was a bit groggy not having slept on the flight, but I got smiles from her anyway. It is amazing how fast they grow! This was also her 19-month birthday, if you can believe that. She's a walking, running, talking machine with long hair and a pint-sized attitude...and it was great to see. Of course nothing beats a true family hug! (The first photo is mom and Viana heading out for dinner, I think)

We were off to old town Alexandria, VA for our stay at the Lorien Hotel and Spa. Although there wasn't enough time for the spa part, the hotel was nice and perfectly located in historic Alexandria (right on King St. for those who know the area). We spent the first night lazying in the hotel and at the hotel restaurant. Free wine happy hour was a welcome addition.

Saturday we went out and explored the old town. A walk down King St. revealed a ton of shops, restaurants and other sights. There was an Irish faire at a park on the Potomac and we took a stroll through the Torpedo Factory...yes, an actual WWII torpedo factory converted into art studios and display areas. A stroll back the 14 blocks to our hotel and it was nap time for everyone!

Sunday it rained most of the day, and Viana refused to nap, but we set off on a car ride to Mount Vernon and then into DC for a visit to the American History Museum. We saw the history of transportation, the inaugural gowns of the first ladies and the original star spangled banner. The second photo is a photo of me and Viana in front of one of the train exhibits.

The last, but possibly cutest photo, the one of the cute little photog, is Viana after stealing mom's hat, taking pictures in our hotel room. Apparently she has become absolutely fascinated with cameras and managed to take a few pretty good ones (mom will have to upload those since they are on her camera...or should I say Viana's camera?)

Anyway, it was GREAT to see the crew again, and I can't wait for Labor Day when I travel home to see them again. After that, it'll be a short week-and-a-half until graduation and then home!

More Photos

Here are two more photos. The first one is from Geno's. Geno's makes, arguably, the best cheesesteaks in all of Philly. However, if you go across the street to Pat's, Pat's makes arguably the best cheesesteaks in all of Philly. Unfortunately for Pat, Geno's is very supportive of law enforcement and military and we got the behind the scenes treatment. That long line you see acutally extended out into the street when we first arrived. There are also some rules when it comes to ordering cheesesteak. There's wit-whiz and witout-whiz, referring to whether you want cheese-whiz or not. Then there's with or without provolone. And finally plain fries or cheese fries. Oh, and by the way, if you don't know what you want by the time you get to the window, they kick you to the back of the line. Can you say "No soup for you!!" Joey Vento, the owner, was not present but made sure we all got fed well and got souvenir pens and t-shirts.

The second photo was made possible and necessary by the cheesesteaks mentioned above. This was our 5th challenge session today, a 3.01 mile run around the academy. The other guy is Charles from Garland, Texas. He just bought a bunch of running attire because he wanted to go fast and be seen with the fast crowd. He also wanted to lead the pack, even for a little bit. This was taken just before the run actually started...notice that we're both already sweating! Gotta love Virginia in the summer! I managed a respectably 19:56 on the run and managed to tie the other running nut, Fred, for first.

Picture Time

So here are some of the photos from our weekend trip to Philadelphia. I figured it was time to share. We had a great time, got escorted around town by the Philadelphia PD and enjoyed some delicious philly cheesesteak (I'll include those photos later).

This is me with Commissioner Ramsey of the Philadelphia Police.

This is the view of Philly from the top of the Comcast Building, the tallest building in Philly at about 72 stories.

The Marine Unit took us out for a tour of the Delaware River. We went by several retired warships including the battleship New Jersey and the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy.

And of course what trip to Philadelphia would be complete without a visit to the Liberty Bell. Actually visiting Independence Hall, sight of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, was one of my highlights from the trip. It is amazing how much about American history most people don't know. Did you know that the Declaration was not actually signed on July 4th?

Goodies from home!

Yippee! My first care package arrived today...mmmmmm how I love the maple cookies! I'm sure they'll be gone before the weekend arrives. And of course a little reminder of just how fabulous a family I have...miss you guys!

Off to a section bar-b-que this evening followed by a briefing on our trip to Philly and then homework. We went and visited the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in DC last night (of course my camera died as we got off the bus)...got an escort by the Secret Service through afternoon DC traffic. Now that's the way to travel, maybe I will make a run for president after all;-)

Always sobering to attend funerals and visit memorials, although it does give one a renewed sense of purpose. Hard to believe so many officers are listed there when you only hear about the handful from your state. I hope to post some photos when I get them from people whose cameras actually worked.

DC Photos

Here are just a couple of photos from our trip to DC this past weekend. The first one is the outside of the National Archives where all the big documents are: Magna Carta, Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, Emancipation Proclamation, etc. But since you are not allowed to take photos inside, all you get to see is the outside.

This second photo is the group of us that make the trek. For you Maine-iacs, the guy in the middle is from Waterville and is writing a weekly column for the paper there talking about his experience at the academy. Quite clearly this is us with the Washington Monument in the background. This was before we decided to trek to the WWII memorial with is on the far side of the monument, notice some of us are still smiling!

I'm Melting...

Good gravy! Could it be ANY hotter. 106 degrees today BEFORE the heat index. And of course we thought today would be a great day to wander around the mall in D.C. We were able to gain express entry into the National Archives Museum, ahead of about 4,000 boy scouts. Who knew it was boy scout jamboree week?

We then oozed our way past the Washington Monument and over to the WW II memorial. By that time we'd had enough of the heat and decided to quit for the day. It's currently cooled down to a brisk 101 and heading out to dinner OFF base and a quick trip to Target. Then, homework night.

Week 2

So, it's been somewhat of a trying week thus far, even though it's only Tuesday. That is due mostly to the forensice sciences class that I'm taking and the fact that at times I'd much rather be at home where Viana got her first swimming pool this week.

The forensics class has dealt with a number of fairly gruesome cases (OJ Simpson as one) and others involving children as the victims. It is truly amazing what human beings can do to each other. We also looked at the Michael Jackson case, Chandra Levy and James Byrd to name just a few (OJ's guilty by the way!). Of course some of these hit closer to home now having a child of my very own, but still fascinating cases.

On the brighter side we at our physical training evaluation test today which consisted of a variety of measurements including height, weight, blood pressure, grip strength, body fat (12.9% woo-hoo!) push-ups, planks and a 1.5 mile timed run. I managed to finish the run in 9:27, first for my section, despite the ridiculous humidity. So the good news is I'm in pretty good shape still. Tomorrow starts the beginning of a series of fitness challenges all of which lead up to the famed 6-mile Yellow Brick Road obstacle course. Tomorrow's challenge is titled "You're not in Kansas anymore!" I'm not sure what that means, but it's only a 1.8 mile run so how hard could it possibly be...right?

Alexis' has been asked whether I'm enjoying myself here. Aside from missing the family terribly, yes, absolutely! The instruction is second to none, the "students" are great and incredibly diverse, and the fitness opportunity affords a nice break. It will be nice to get off base this weekend if possible, just for a change of pace. But yes, I have no doubt this will be a one of a kind experience when it's all said and done...I just wish it was in San Diego :-)

First Weekend

Well, I figured it was about time to attach some photos to add to the ambiance of the whole academy experience. This first photo is of my running partner from this evening's run. Actually there are deer all over the base and most of them barely take notice when you run by. In fact, the other day I was running on the track and there were two deer literally munching away right next to the track!

They wander throughout the facility just munching away. Rumor has it that they know that they are protected on the base which is why they don't scurry off. Makes for interesting scenery at least.

The second photo is Lunga Lake at sunset. This lake is right next to the academy and there is a four mile running route along the northern edge of the lake. We've been out there a number of times in the morning, and it's amazing how damp and humid it is. During the day it just gets hot and humid, but at least there is plenty of shade. No telling yet if one is allowed to swim in the lake.

This was the first weekend and a number of the local folk went home. Some others went out exploring some of the local sights. I went to Fredricksburg with two of my suitmates, but not to see any of the historic sights. One of our classes actually takes us on a behind the scenes tour, so we get to save some money there. Instead we used it as an excuse to escape the compound.

It was nice to relax a little bit, sleep in, and do some swimming and running. Oh yeah, I also managed to do a little work for my classes knocking out three writing assignments. I figure if I get ahead of some of my class work now, then I won't have to stress about them come finals time and I can enjoy the scenery while everyone else is locked in the library.

I got more very cute photos from home, my favorite was Viana playing with a bubble maker, too cute! And for those of you who haven't heard Viana has hit the big time, one of her photo shoots for a company called Infantino wound her on the cover of the package for one of their carry slings! Yea Viana. She now officially makes more money per hour than either of her parents! Not bad for 18-months.

One Week Down...

...Nine to go!

Well, made it through week one with no major trauma, except for that hellacious thunder storm Wednesday night. For a while there we thought we were taking incoming artillery rounds from the Marines! I don't think I've ever experience thunder like that...for you Californians it sounded much like that earthquake we had a few weeks back!

Classes are looking good, very interesting topics and all of the instructors seem very good. The physical training has yet to start in earnest and it should be interesting. They have a flag warning system here to alert you as to how safe (or unsafe) it is to engage in outdoor activity. It goes from green on the safe side, to red "not recommended" to black "what are you nuts?!?" Thus far, of the six days this week, it's been either red or black every day.

A number of us have decided to exercise in the morning before it gets ridiculously hot. This morning I went for a nine mile run with a guy from Austin Texas and another from Los Angeles Harbor. By the time we got back I might as well have just stepped out of the shower I was that soaked!

We have our first official PT session on Tuesday with a weigh-in (yikes), body fat test, push ups, planks and timed 1.5 mile run. Should be intersting. In the meantime many people are exploring the pool and the blue brick challenge (swim 34 miles in 10-weeks). It's fairly entertaining watching some very large and imposing officers make their way across a swimming pool.

Missing the family a lot, although Alexis has been sending me photos of the giant beetles and record heat that apparently has moved into San Diego since I left (not may fault, I swear!). And of course photos of little miss Viana who just turned 18-months! Man time flies.

Heading back out to town this afternoon to try and buy some shorts. No one told us we were allowed to wear shorts on the weekends, so that along with water have been the hot sellers at the local Walmart. Hopefully will also be able to track down a camera so I can post some photos.

Quantico-Day One

First day of classes done, no complaints. It's amazing how many people have been out of school for so long and are stressing about term papers and research papers. I've got one class left to see how much work I really get to do.

Hit the pool tonight for a (not so easy) 2 miles. That makes a grand total of 3. Hard to believe one person is already at 5-1/2, yikes! Won't have PT until Thursday morning so until then its back out onto the trails tomorrow morning.

Getting to know a few more folks: A fish and game warden from Georgia, a Lt from Colorado State, and numerous (count that NUMEROUS) folks from the south...y'all. If I don't come home speaking with a southern drawl it'll be a miracle. Off to bed, hopefully will add a few photos tomorrow.

Arrival at Quantico

Hello all. As many of you know I (Lamine) am attending a 10-week training course at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA, and for those of you who care to follow along I will attempt to provide some updates.

I have wanted to attend this course almost since I started my career, just figures that I finally get the opportunity now that Viana has joined our family:-( So being away for that long will be tough (send happy thoughts Alexis' way). A quick shout-out to super-birth-instructor Alexis for helping our friend Susan through the birth of her first child, a little girl who arrived this past weekend! Great job Susan!

Anyway, after arriving Saturday following a delayed flight I've spent the past few days settling in and getting used to dorm life. I feel like I'm back in college again with one roommate and two other suitemates sharing one bathroom...yippee! Monday was a painful admin day, but today has been better with the start of classes. My classes are a mix of undergraduate and graduate level classes that are accredited through the University of Virginia and include a mix of dealing with the media, leadership, organizational change, forensic science and more media relations (I'm the public information officer for my department).

Those of you who live on the east coast already know this, but it's awful humid back here! So far the temperature has cooperated, only getting up to 96 on Sunday. Hopefully that will hold since we also have a LOT of physical training to do. Fortunately I've found a bunch of other crazies who like to run and I'm trying to convince people to get in the pool as well. We have two physical challenges: one is the famed Yellow Brick Road which is a 6-mile obstacle course (the same one that Jodie Foster ran in Silence of the Lambs) and the second is the less well known Blue Brick Challenge which is to swim 34 miles over the course of the 10 weeks. So far I've gone one mile!

If anyone has any good suggestions for what to do on the weekends I would love some ideas, because although we are planning some trips back and forth I will still have to spend some weekends here and would prefer not to be trapped in the dorms.

That's all for now, hopefully more updates to follow. Best wishes to everyone.